Fall Away
by Aiden I
Summary: For anyone who asks who is Audrey? Where did she come from? How and when did Percy meet her? Step into the Ministry of Magic, where it all began. Where romance, adventure, and chaos ensues as they are rocked by the turmoil surrounding the Wizarding World.
1. By Accident

Chapter 1

By Accident

A gold, metallic heeled shoe clacked an agitated and unsteady beat over the stuffy coughs and turning of pages in the dark anteroom on the first floor of The Ministry of Magic. Her colorful garments stuck out absurdly against the polished onyx stones covering the outer walls of the Minister's office. A shabby looking witch flicked her eyes disapprovingly at the assistant-hopeful next to her. The girl looked up, startling her elderly competition who was caught sizing her up. Muttering something unintelligible, the witch gave another once over of the unreasonably high heels that insisted on tapping away her patience. Silly bangles jingled on her forearm as she flipped another page. It was a wonder that she was even _able_ to read the words on the page as dark fringes swept over her brow. Her appearance was all wrong—wrong for an assistant to one of the most important leaders in the Wizarding World anyway.

"Audrey Archer," called out Mr. Diggory who stood by the door. The golden shoes ceased tapping when she rose to her feet, smoothing out the hound's-tooth print of her skirt and noisily joining him at the door. She gave a polite smile to the weary-looking man, catching the lingering pain in the eyes of a father who very recently witnessed the death of his own son. Audrey remembered it at all too clearly as well. She and Cedric had been in the same year.

"Please have a seat Mrs. Ar-"

"Miss," she corrected.

"I'm sorry, _Miss_ Archer." The young man sitting behind a mahogany desk showed almost no sign of acknowledging her presence without even sparing so much as a glance as she sat down in the chair in front of him.

Everything about him was appropriate, from the pencil-thin tie knotted around his neck to the tortoise shell, horn-rimmed spectacles sitting purposefully across his bespeckled nose. The flame of a candle resting on the corner of his desk reflected off the lenses of his glasses, creating an effervescent shade over his downcast eyes. His long spidery fingers searched the red hairs of his head as he shrugged and leafed through the thousandth résumé of the day. She wondered how often someone like him wished for a more conformant hair color. His thin lips curved slightly in a poor imitation of a smile, "A former Ravenclaw, huh?" his eyes rose to her face, revealing almost lifeless, green irises underneath the pinkish lids. She nodded, somewhat nervously, any verbal communication temporarily forgotten.

"I was in _Gryffindor_ myself," he accentuated this point as if it were something to be particularly proud of, "but my girlfriend was in Ravenclaw. Penelope Clearwater, maybe you know of her?"

How could Audrey _not_ know of her? How could _anyone_ not know of the prefect turned Head Girl Perfect-Penelope-Clearwater? Come to think of it, that must have been why he seemed a little familiar himself. He was none other than Percy Weasley, her prefect turned Head Boy boyfriend. _Penelope and Percy_, they were practically made for each other.

"Of course! She was a year ahead of me—I remember her very fondly," she answered, fighting to keep the tinge of sarcasm clear of her voice. Yes, she very fondly remembered how impossibly bossy Miss Clearwater could be.

"Now what makes you think that you could fulfill the required duties as _secretary to the Minister_?" She gave a derisive, inward laugh. It was not as if sitting at a desk, taking notes and occasionally running errands would require too much skill.

"I…formerly worked as secretary to the editor of _The_ _Daily Prophet_. I also wrote a few columns for it here and there—

_"Were you dismissed or did you resign?"_ he asked abruptly, leaning forward on his elbow, placing his chin in the palm of his hand and giving her a green-eyed stare.

"I-resigned," Audrey answered quickly, taken aback at the sudden query.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and regained a stately posture, "Thank you. That will be all. My name is Percy Weasley and I am the Minister's Assistant, if you have any questions, please ask me," he hastily closed her folder containing years of work that had been carefully compiled, now reduced to a folded mess, crushing it together, then reached for a rubber stamp resting on an ink pad and branded the outside of it, placing it atop a towering stack of others, "After our selection is made, you will be notified via owl post," he spoke mechanically.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," she tried to hide the surprise in her reply as she straightened her skirt and pushed back the chair with alarm as the job interview had been noticeably short. Maybe she should have complimented his girlfriend more.

"Mr. Diggory, please send the ne—_Miss are you all right?_" he peered over a piece of paper to glimpse Audrey sprawled out on the rug in front of his desk.

"Yes I'm fine—just tripped over y-your rug," she jumped up, pushing her hair behind her ear and collecting her dignity that was now in pieces on the floor, "I'm...fine. Thank you," her voice was strangled deep within her throat as she pushed the door to. Percy snorted and placed the paper in front of his face to hide an undignified grin.

"Well, that was nothing short of dreadful!" she scolded herself and pounded on the Ministry lift's button, mentally checking off the other job openings she should move along to. The clanging bell interrupted her thoughts as two iron-gated doors retracted like an accordion, revealing an aristocratic-looking man with a displeased disposition. He stood immaculately straight with a tail of blonde hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck and Audrey forced herself not to stare. A black, polished cane reached around her to push another button, causing the gated doors to close. She concentrated on the sound of the creaking cables pulling them backward, trying to ignore the subconscious knowledge that he was staring holes in the back of her head. The lift lurched and then quickly launched them upwards, throwing Audrey against the wizard.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she leapt off of him and hugged the opposite wall, horrified of him yelling at her. Her eyes briefly met his to glimpse a look of narrow-eyed intrigue rather than irritation.

"Are you currently employed here?" he asked hooking the snake-headed cane to his side.

"No, not yet," or maybe she should have just said no since she had probably ruined any hopes of working there anyway, "I was interviewing for the secretary position today." He smiled with pinched lips that hinted another meaning; it rested under two glittering blue orbs that raked over her.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he announced grandly, sweeping his velvet cloak behind a broad shoulder, revealing an ornate silver vest, adorned with serpentine hooks, "I am Lucius Malfoy," his gloved hand reached for hers and placed a gentle kiss upon it.

She had almost forgotten her own name, "Audrey…Archer," her cheeks suddenly burned, as she diverted her eyes from him. His scrutinizing gaze became unnerving as it lingered on her for more than was necessary.

"This is my floor," she lied, exiting the elevator in an unnaturally hasty manner. She would rather descend every staircase in the building than stay there under his observing eyes.

"If you ever need anything while you're here Miss Archer, please do not hesitate to call upon me," a crooked grin tugged at one corner of his lips as his face became caged by the closing iron doors.

"Of course, good-bye Mr. Malfoy," she answered rapidly.

"Good-bye Miss Archer, it was a pleasure," and with that the labored sound of the rickety lifts slowly sunk below the floor.

"What's up Perce?" chirped an unmistakable Scottish accent from the office doorway.

"What do you want Icarus?" Percy muttered, scrawling frantically on a pile of parchment.

"What do I _want?_" his colleague echoed with a fleering smile and a matching mischievous gleam, "I _want_ you to stop acting like the threads of your robes are constricting you into oblivion!" The short Scotsman perched himself on the corner of Percy's desktop, eliciting nothing more than a shrug and eye roll from his co-worker, "the sky isn't going to fall on you if you make the wrong decision ya know—it's just a secretary."

"I know," Percy answered through a clenched jaw.

"Are you sure?" he asked for reinforcement. The familiar tone in his voice hinted at the rash actions Icarus was famous for, which were sure to follow. He randomly picked a folder from the tower of résumés on his desk.

_"What're you doing with that?"_ Percy snapped, finally dropping his quill in alarm.

"I'm showing you how right I am," Icarus replied pushing the window open.

_"Close that window!" _he shouted, his voice raising an octave, _"put those down!"_

"Ugh, so _demanding_. Is that the voice you use with Penelope in bed?" he laughed, scooping up the other folders in his arms. Percy now practically leapt over his desk, running towards Icarus and reaching for the wad of papers.

"Percy! Look what you did!" Icarus tried to suppress a laugh as Percy leaned out of the window seal, gasping exasperatedly as the papers flew in every direction around the main atrium several levels below, most of them landing directly into the ministry fountain.

_"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"_ the sound of his shout echoing through the Ministry chambers.

"You mean what have _you _done? Besides, there's still one left," replied Icarus revealing a folder from behind his back.

"Who is it?" Percy shrugged as he fell back into his chair, mumbling, "_Fudge'll have my head."_

"And the winner is…—drum roll please," he added looking to Percy who was slouched in his chair with his head sideways on the desktop, "oh c'mon Perce, drum roll," Percy only shot him a glare, telling Icarus he would do nothing of the sort, "oh, alright...the winner is..._Miss_ Audrey Archer. Pretty cute," he cocked his head sideways like a little dog as he stared at picture clipped to her file, "—and young. That's a lucky one." He pulled the picture from the paper clip and handed it to Percy.

"_Not her_," he picked up his forehead only to let it drop to the desk.

"'fraid so," Icarus smiled, "Well? What're you waiting for? Get to it Mr. Minister's Assistant! Start writing that letter of notification."

"Icarus?"

"Yes darling?" his voice hitched as high as it could.

"I hate you."

"As I do you, but it was for your own good—

_"Shut up."_


	2. Thieves

Chapter 2

Thieves

_'What the hell did Icarus think he was doing—ruining everything like that? I could be fired if Fudge ever found out!'_ Percy thought to himself as he ran a comb furiously though the tangles of his flaming hair. He leaned into the bathroom mirror peering into his own green eyes and meticulously inspecting his appearance. Everything _must _be perfect_._ He grabbed his coat and reached inside the pocket to make sure it was still inside.

Dinner with Penelope was peaceful, as it usually was, and she seemed to be a delightful distraction for him. He rambled on about Ministry affairs while admiring her from across the table. Not because she was the most beautiful woman in the room—she wasn't, but that was exactly why he loved her. She didn't _have _to be the most beautiful. She was pragmatic and smart, and exactly like him. He likened their relationship to a pair of socks; they were matched perfectly and comfortable to put on.

"Do you remember someone named Archer in your house?" Percy asked as the waiter placed their two glasses of wine between them.

"Archer?" Penelope mulled over the name, staring to the right of Percy's head and he could only focus on the endearing manner in which she crinkled her nose in thought, "I don't think so…that doesn't sound very familiar, why?" her eyes shifted hesitantly to his as she pulled her glass towards her.

"Oh, it's nothing," he waved her skepticism away, "I've just hired a new secretary whose last name is Archer and she said she was in Ravenclaw with you—not in your year though." Sensing her discomfort, Percy sipped nervously at his two-galleon glass of wine, earnestly wishing for the subject to drop, though she didn't seem to have any plans for such a thing.

"A _girl?_"

"Well she's _hardly_ a girl—

The words slipped through his teeth before he could think more of it and his lips pressed together from the flash of her judgmental glare.

"Penny, _all_ of them were women! It's not my fault—

"Is she pretty?" one of her arched brows raised in a challenging gaze that Percy absolutely loathed.

"Of course not!" He couldn't understand just _where_ this jealous attitude was coming from. Penelope never had any self-esteem issues—how could she? Her relentless ambition won her a job as a Healer in St. Mungo's. Her wits coupled with good breeding undoubtedly caused many a-wizard to fall for her charms. Percy considered himself lucky just to have her!

"Penny, don't be silly, you _know_ that no other woman could hold a candle to you—looks or otherwise," his furrowed stare fell to the tablecloth, "besides…I don't want to fight tonight."

"Oh, I'm sorry Perce." He felt her hand reach over the table and weakly clasp his. He looked up to see her smiling, lips closed, but it felt forced—as if the conversation wasn't _really _over but she was only allowing it to be for now.

"You're right," her gaze lifted to the restaurant around them, all the holiday lights twinkling merrily while the other witches and wizards enjoyed their evening seemed to lift her spirits as well.

"This is such a romantic place—if I didn't know you better I would think you were planning something," she laughed and Percy tried to shake off the backhanded compliment.

"Actually, I _was _planning something," he answered softly.

"What?" the question was a huff of air harboring genuine disbelief, as if her own boyfriend of four years were completely incapable of planning something special.

But it was something special. Something he had been planning months in advance and it was now the right place and the right time. _It was time_—it was finally time for the one question he had been working up the courage to say for a whole year; hours of practicing in front of the dingy bathroom mirror was now finally a reality. He would finally peer into the sparkling blue eyes of Penelope instead of his dull green ones as he annunciates the phrase she would enthusiastically agree to. The light shining from the end of the black tunnel that had been his life in the past year was finally within sight and he was ready to run to it.

"Penelope Clearwater," he ran his fingers through his hair and reached for the coat pocket, anticipation running freely through his veins as he could feel the cool velvet casing in the palm of his hand,_ "Will you marry me?_" He opened the little box, a small diamond ring cushioned within it. He wished he could have afforded a larger stone, but for the time being, it was all he could manage. She reached out for the box, the sparkling gem reflected in her watery blue orbs.

"Percy—I," she stumbled over the words as she stared into the hopeful eyes of Percy Weasley, tears rimming the bottom of hers—tears of joy.

"Yes?" He stared at her intently, ready for the imminent approval.

"I," her mouth still hung slightly open and then her lip curled under her front teeth, "I...I just _can't_." She closed the box, setting it down and sliding it across the table, which seemed to be growing wider by the moment until they appeared miles away from each other.

"But—

_"No _Percy," she spoke as if he were only five years old, and she his reprimanding mother, "I just _can't_. I can't marry you…"

"Why?" he hated the sound of his own voice, like the whine of a dog who had been kicked in the side.

"You…you've just…_changed_. You're not who you used to be…and I've come to realize that—that I might not be in love with you anymore—

For a moment, he was sure his heart had stopped, his face drained of blood and he was almost trembling. The words refused to sink in. He just stared at her lamely as questions raced in his head. How could this be happening?

"Were you ever?" he whispered mechanically, the realization that was now crashing down upon him had stolen his voice away.

"Of course!" she sounded almost offended, as if she had any right, "but the Percy that I loved was back at Hogwarts, not the Assistant to the Minister."

"Is_ THAT—_I mean, is thatwhat this is about?" he croaked, trying to keep the volume of his voice at a reasonable level so as not to alert anyone around them that couples such as themselves actually _had _arguments.

"See, you just did it!"

"Did what?"

"You lowered your voice because you're scared someone will realize that we're not perfect! It's just making me sick—all the pressure of being your girlfriend and then the way you've changed on top of that!" she acted as if the fact should be evident, "You're just not…_you_ anymore. It's because of that promotion. It's pitted you against your family and I'm not going to play ambassador to the Weasleys anymore!"

"Oh, so it was _all _fine until you thought you were gonna be stuck with me for the rest of your life!"

"_No! It's not—"_

_"_I thought that _you, _of all people, Penelope Clearwater, would understand—but of course—just like _them—_you take the side against me."

"_Stop acting like a little child, Percy!" _she narrowed her eyes, seething with an anger that had been locked away for a long time_, "No one's against you—you're just sulking because you're wrong and you don't want to admit it! You're so determined to prove yourself right that you'll believe whatever your idiot boss tells you!"_

Penelope's pretty features fell at the conclusion of her tirade, maybe for the effect it had on Percy's demeanor, or maybe because she had been holding it in for such a long time, though Percy cared not for which. For a moment he just stared blankly at her, his words, along with his heart, had been sucked out of him like a great vacuum leaving a gaping hole behind where everything once lay so neatly.

"Fudge is _not _an idiot!" he finally ground through a clenched jaw.

"Is that _really_ what you've chosen to pick out of this entire argument? You're only proving to me what's really important to you—that bloody position!"

"Well I'll have you know, that _bloody position _is what paid for this!" he held up the scarlet box, "And it would have also paid for our future together!" Percy couldn't answer, couldn't think. He could only sit across from the woman of his _used-to-be _dreams, his chest heaving in anger and drumming his fingers on the expensive tabletop.

"What future? You mean _your _future! It's always been about _you! _Everything's about you! What about me?" she regarded him with squinted, teary eyes. He felt like crying himself, but instead glared back at her with a cold vacancy in his hardened brow, unwilling to understand and too tired to try.

"What about what I want?"

"What do you want?" he spat, though knowing would hardly make a difference now, "I tried to give you everything!"

"That's just it! You don't know! How could you?—You've never asked because you don't even think of me! You're too wrapped up in yourself—that's why this would never work," her voice evened and she tried to smile bitterly, her perfect teeth slipping out from under her reddened lips.

"We're too different now," she tried to catalyze any conversation between her and Percy. The mere silence of him was more unsettling than shouting.

And then something clicked.

"_You're right," _Penelope stared at him aghast, as she had not expected that response, "we _are _too different. _You_ allow the authority figures that impressed and influenced you in your impressionable youth to guide you as an adult, refusing to make your _own_ decisions while _I'm_ discontent with being the dumb driven cattle herded by Albus Dumbledore."

"That's so wrong," her voice cracked as if she had broken, "You're so wrong Percy," she cried, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her finger.

"Try to control yourself." Percy replied harshly, his mouth nothing more than in unimpressed line.

"_You!"_ she spat, _"are the most heartless, self-serving bastard that ever walked the earth and I would be the biggest fool to ever marry you!" _she cried hysterically. He couldn't help but suddenly notice how ugly she looked when she cried. Her eye makeup forged little black waterways across her alabaster cheeks and it wasn't long until he wasn't the only one noticing.

The witches and wizards seated near them stared on in apprehension at the exchange and in no time a very tall wizard tapped Percy on the shoulder.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he stated in a low voice.

"Gladly," Percy barked at him, rising to the wizard's height as he stood up and snatched his traveling cloak off the back of his chair. He peered down at the woman he thought would be his wife, "And just so you know, _my new secretary is the most beautiful woman in the entire world!_"

_That _would show her.

She probably wasn't. In fact, he could hardly remember enough of her to even picture her at the moment, but it didn't matter. He wanted to say anything that would hurt her as much as she had hurt him. He gave her one last sneer for good measure, seizing the box from the table and storming out of the restaurant and into the snowy, December air.

Percy barely remembered walking home that night. The cold air slapped him in the face with the same brutal force he imagined Penelope would've liked to. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had. The things he said to her were rather awful and reflecting back on them, he knew he didn't even mean most of them, but anything that was said a mere hour ago made no difference now. What was done was done and there was no way to go back—or at least no way his pride would _let _him go back. He could have apparated home, but after the entire episode, he realized that he needed a long walk more than ever.

'_Percy Ignatius Weasley, you know better than to wander about at night, there could be thieves and criminals roaming the streets!' _his mother would say if she knew, or even cared. He had particularly hoped he _could _run into one of those thieves, maybe they would steal his identity and he would no longer have to assume the role of Percy Weasley.

However, no such luck was to befall him tonight as he turned on Gower's Walk, the street on which his end terrace stood, alone and deserted looking, and unfortunately, no criminals presented themselves. He shook the snow-capped tips of his shoes on the steps leading up to the door and carefully gripped the rot iron handrail so as not to slip and fall. Bits of the chipped, red paint from around the doorknob flew on to his robes as he pushed open his apartment door. Sending a final curse to the night, he fell against the door and the lights flickered a greeting to its inhabitant. He threw his traveling cloak on the breakfast table in the kitchen, and noticed with little concern that the puffapod plant, which Penelope had given him when he first moved in, was dying on the window seal. He reached once more for the small box and opened it.

The diamond still sparkled, just as it had before.


	3. The Picture

Chapter 3

The Picture

A solitary, stone-gray apartment building proudly stood in the very heart of London. Its light colored walls became a focal point amid the dark high rises as it had yet to submit to history. Carved, lion figure-heads lined the outside walls, their manes held up the iron-fenced balconies of the more expensive rooms. The Victorian era saw its best years but has since surrendered to antiquity, now crumbling away under the hundred-floored sky scrapers going up around it. A double-pained window on the sixth floor rattled, the frame screeching in the cold night as it slowly pushed wider than it had been left open.

_"What was that?"_ Audrey's eyes flew open at the sound of something more than just the storm raging outside the walls of her flat. She peeled the warm blankets from off of her and slowly made her way across her bedroom floor. Rain pattered against the windows and the room lit up periodically by bolts of lightning shooting across the sky.

_Shrump. Shrump._

There it was again. The frosty window panes rattled where she had left it cracked earlier that evening. It was the sound of someone trying to break in.

_"Stay away from my window!"_—her best menacing impression—_"Or else!" _she screamed, snatching her wand off the nearby dresser. The window finally burst open and something propelled inside, falling into her bedroom floor. Audrey jumped behind her dresser, pointing her wand around the side of it. "_Expelliarmus!_" A stream of scarlet shot from her wand and it launched the thief into the air, who then crashed into the wall. A great commotion followed as hanging picture frames clattered to the floor with an unmistakable crack of glass. A large envelope fell at her feet and she looked over at the heap of _something _on her floor in assurance that it was sufficiently incapacitated before picking it up. Turning it over revealed a small, red, wax stamp with the initials M.O.M.

"What've I done?" she gasped, rising from her hiding place and slowly creeping to the corner. "_Lumos!" _The light shooting from the tip of her wand illuminated exactly what she had done. Round, yellow eyes blinked at her from the floor and the screech owl flapped one of its wings weakly. Scooping up the owl, she placed it on her bed and retrieved one of her own owl's treats. The messenger bird pecked at the treat in her hand as she used her wand to slice open the envelope and withdraw the thick parchment.

_I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as the new secretary to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Please report to my office promptly at 8:05 in the morning. We look forward to seeing you and welcome to the Ministry of Magic._

_Sincerely,_

_Percy Weasley, Assistant to the Minister of Magic'_

"Merlin's pants! You're Percy Weasley's owl, aren't you?" It seemed to squawk in conformation and she winced, holding up its broken wing, "He's going to fire me on the spot."

By morning, Percy's owl was able to stand again, but it could only flap its wings in a frustrated flutter, hopping around her bedroom floor and hooting loudly as if to tell Audrey just how annoyed he was at the inconvenience. "I know! I'm sorry!" Audrey replied, dumping her own owl, Titus, out of his cage. He screeched as well, looking ruffled at the unceremonious eviction.

"Sorry Titus, I need it for today," Audrey explained as she scooted Percy's owl into Titus's cage and zipped the cover over it.

Audrey's door creaked open with a meow as Persephone, a calico cat, grandly announced her entrance. "It's like a zoo in here," she remarked to no one in particular, sliding her arms into a woolen coat and donning a red, knitted beret.

"Alright," she said, picking up Titus's cage, "you two behave while I'm gone," she craned her head to see Titus, who had now taken up residence on top of her wardrobe. Persephone curled up on her desk by the window and Audrey gave them both knowing looks before closing the door behind her.

"Name please," asked the elderly witch at the front desk of the Ministry of Magic.

"Audrey Archer, I'm here to see Percy Weasley...I believe he's the Minister's Assistant."

"Do you have an appointment?" the witch's penciled eyebrows rose sanctimoniously over her half-moon spectacles.

"Well no—but I didn't think I needed one since I'm now employed here. It's my first day of work," Audrey stared hopefully at the gray-haired receptionist, but her own demeanor suggested that she was completely impervious to it.

"Do you have an official correspondence confirming this?"

The witch must have been talking about the letter she received from last night. Audrey started noisily rifling through her purse, though she had a sinking suspicion that it was lying on the desk in her flat, probably under Persephone's tail. "I seem to have left it at home," she replied dejectedly, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I'm afraid you'll have to go home and get it then," the receptionist snipped.

"But I—"

_"I'm sorry," _she interjected with a voice that suggested the contrary, _"but you cannot proceed beyond this point to administrative offices without an appointment or confirmation correspondence."_ Audrey exhaled exasperatedly through her nose, sensing the agitation of the other witches and wizards waiting in line behind her.

"But I'll be late if I have to go back home—

"I'm sorry but—

_"Ladies, ladies,"_ the familiar, deep, vibrato of Lucius Malfoy coiled around their heads as Audrey turned to see him now standing needlessly close to her back, his figure towering over her in an impressive display, "let's not quarrel over insignificant matters. Miss Archer has an appointment."

"But Mr. Malfoy, her name is not on the list and she doesn't have—

_"I repeat myself madam, Miss Audrey Archer _does_ have an appointment,"_ Lucius replied in a tone that allowed no room for argument.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy." She backed away, her demeanor resembling nothing more than a house elf and Audrey couldn't help but smirk inwardly at the her deflated attitude.

"Your office is this way Miss Archer," he gentlemanly outstretched a long arm to let her walk ahead into the masses of incoming employees. It was hard not to be intimidated by the crowds of people and countless fireplaces stacked upon one another, looming over them. The fountain was almost comforting in the middle of it all, a bastion of immobility in a swaying swarm. Audrey thought it unfortunate that the employees, who buzzed about like industrious bees in a hive, masked the trickling sound of it.

Two statues, one a wizard, the other a witch, gazed serenely at one another as a goblin, a house-elf and a centaur looked up at them. She was pulled jarringly from the ethereal aura of it by the greeting of a very sloppy-looking man standing guard at a pair of golden gates framing the end of the atrium.

"Wand please," asked the man holding out a grubby hand for them to deposit their wands in.

"That won't be necessary Mr. Munch, Miss Archer is now an employee—the new secretary to the Minister's office," he proclaimed with an air of authority.

"Ah...of course Mr. Malfoy." Audrey couldn't help but stare incredulously at the quietly nodding ministry worker, as if Malfoy's cologne were made of the _imperius_ curse.

Passing Mr. Munch's gates, they entered the same lift in which she first met Lucius Malfoy. Audrey stood stone still, listening to the shifting gears of the lift, heavily concentrating on them as she could feel the familiarity of last week creeping into the air. She was feverishly trying to think of something to save them from the debilitating awkwardness of a silent lift ride. She decided it might be best to thank him for saving her a lot of trouble back in the atrium, but before she could open her mouth, he beat her to it.

"Is that _your_ owl?"

"Uhm—no," she peered down at the cage, "it's kind of a long story of how I came by it."

Audrey couldn't imagine a better sound than the dinging of the lift as the doors retracted and Lucius walked her down the hall. The two of them passed one office doorway after another, catching glimpses of wizards working diligently to complete the day's tasks while parchment airplanes whizzed past the tip of her ear with inner-office memos. The industrious nature of everyone at the Ministry, from the way they filed into work to the way they conducted everyday affairs, made her nervous—everyone seemed so _en pointe_, as if every second of the day was account for.

"Why hello!" a Scottish-accented greeting came from a man about Audrey's height, carrying a leather dossier who walked up beside them, "you must be Miss Archer." He had wheat-colored hair, an impish face, with light, merry eyes catching hers and a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Icarus Diggle, Percy's assistant. I guess you could call me the assistant to the assistant."

"Audrey," she said, introducing herself, "Interesting title," she returned the playful grin. His attitude was very infectious.

"Yes, it's so very _government _isn't it?"

She chuckled, "It is. So...what do you actually do?"

"Oh, absolutely nothing at all—I'm just on the pay roll," he laughed heartily at his own joke, but quickly stopped as he realized who was staring down at him from the other side of her. It took very little for Audrey to make up her mind about this Icarus. She smiled in response but the little Scotsman's round eyes flittered nervously at Lucius, who gave him a curt glare clearly stating his intentions.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Audrey. Welcome to the Ministry and if you need anything at all, you know my name," Icarus said quickly, raising his eyebrows and thrusting out his hand which she enthusiastically shook. "I'll be on my way now—things to do you know. I think I hear some papers needing to be filed."

"Good-bye Icarus," she called after him. As soon as he swung into a doorway and out of the hallway Malfoy spoke in a low voice, "I would advise you not to associate with someone of that sort," he glanced over at her.

"And why not?" she asked, annoyed at his comment.

"Because the man is a lunatic—absolutely mad," he scoffed, "I can't imagine how the likes of him is still employed here."

Audrey scowled at his assessment of her new friend. As much as she appreciated Mr. Malfoy's help, his opinions of her co-workers were certainly _not _needed. "Please believe me when I say that I fully appreciate your concern," she huffed, "but I think I can be the judge of that."

Malfoy was visibly stunned at her defiance, but quickly wiped the look from his face, replacing it with one of cool indifference. He stopped in the same antechamber Audrey remembered from the other week. Its polished, onyx stones gave the offices a feel of regality and rigidity, a feeling she didn't quite like. She stared closely while passing through to the office—_her _office, amazed at the fact that her name had already been etched into a plaque on the door, right under Percy's.

Percy rested his head on the green desk pad, grazing his cheek on the soft velvet. He lay inert, with both eyes open, staring into his own abyss, listening to the soft ticking of the clock. A troll of a headache had taken residence between his ears, and it absolutely refused to leave. He knew he should probably assume some faux state of busyness in case someone of importance came in, but for the first time since starting work at the Ministry, he couldn't bring himself to care. He knew he had to snap out of this malaise. He had already worked so hard for everything he achieved, even the likes of Penny wasn't going to ruin it for him now.

His green eyes slowly traveled upwards, catching the silver gleam of a picture frame—the _only _picture frame on his immaculate desk. The lids of his eyes slowly retracted backwards into his head as he studied the neck, the long, beautiful column of skin, framed by blonde tresses of silk—the memory of it still fresh on his fingertips. Her blue, mascara lined eye winked at him and between two delicate lips, issued forth a kiss. He knew what it was like to kiss those lips. And _that_ kiss was for him—except not anymore. She would sooner bite his head off than kiss him.

In a flash of silver the frame clattered face down and Percy removed his long, bony fingers from the back of it. _That _was over.

Percy pressed his lips together, staring at the clock through seething eyes. _Five 'til eight._ The new secretary had exactly five minutes for her silly metallic shoes—or whatever bloody color they were—to be standing on the very carpet in front of his desk, which was given to Minister Fudge by the Armenian Minister of Magic, mind you. _If she isn't, then she should be fired on the spot_, Percy thought haughtily.

Part of him, a small, malevolent part of him, enjoyed watching the slender minute hand twitch closer to twelve. He might enjoy dismissing someone—he had never done it before. _Either way, she probably deserves it_, he reasoned. She had probably never held a _real _job in her life and _no one _arrives late at the Ministry for their first day of work. If she had had a real job, she would invariably know that first impressions were everything. _You don't get a second chance to make a first impression!_ That's what he always said anyway.

_1 minute._

She'll probably storm in, chomping on gum and wearing some ridiculous outfit. _And if she's not late, maybe I'll dismiss her for her inappropriate clothing! _He was surprised he even remembered the small details of her appearance. The ridiculous mop fringe of her hair made her look more like a Chelsea girl from the 60s than a professional witch. This was the _Ministry_ for Merlin's sake, not swinging London!

_30 seconds._

He wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Everything seemed absurd now. Percy glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall—it was the 10th of December and today should have been the first day of his newly assumed title—Penelope's _fiancé_. But Percy Weasley wasn't anyone's fiancé. He was a miserable and lonely man whose only shred of comfort came from pathetically fantasizing about dismissing some little girl who wanted to work in his office.

He had already prepared what he would say as the second hand swung around to the nine. First, he would chastise her for being late. Second, he would move on to informing her of her unfortunate fate.

_10 seconds._

Audrey turned on her heel, but Lucius left as swiftly and silently as he had appeared. She slowly creaked open the door to find Percy sitting behind his desk just as he had the first time she met him. His hand rested in his hair, head down, twisting red strands into knots. He snapped up in alarm, as if he had been caught doing something he ought not.

"Excuse me…?"

"Miss Archer," he croaked, his voice sounded odd, "You're…" he slightly craned his neck to glimpse the clock over her shoulder and she couldn't understand why he finished with a shrug, "right on time."

His gaze refused to meet her's, he instead scratched his eye and placed his glasses over them, taking a second to assess her state of dress, which seemed altogether normal save the lime green heels sticking out so oddly from the rest, "Welcome to the Ministry. I—

"Are you all right Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes, I'm fine, just slightly…sick."

Sick with a hangover.

His eyes finally caught hers and she noticed a certain longing in them. His gaze quickly darted away and muttered something unintelligible about being under the weather, but she either didn't hear it or didn't believe it.

"What _kind_ of sickness?"

_"The kind you get when you're not feeling well!" _he snapped, "And I do not see the need to press the matter any further," he sat up straight, crossing his arms tightly across his chest, trying to draw her away from what he felt certain she was already guessing dead on. For it was, as she had probably presumed, more a sickness of the heart.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," she frowned as she shrunk away from him, her body seeming to retreat into itself.

"As you should be...as I was saying, ever since I sent Hermes to deliver your letter I haven't seen him since and I was wondering if you knew of his whereabouts," his eyes fell to her side, "—_what is that?"_ He slightly rose from his seat, leaning over the edge of his desk and pointed to the hanging cage at her side.

"Well, it's...uhm," she sputtered, her face burning at the impending tirade, "...your owl—I believe...the weather...it was really bad last night and...he kind of flew right into my window pane...and then into my room...and I got really scared—thinking—thinking that he was a robber—or something...soIhexedhim."

His eyes grew the size of dinner plates and no words tumbled out of his falling bottom lip as he could only nod his head in disbelief. He sprung up from his desk in a flurry, causing Audrey to jump in alarm and plucked the cage from her hands. Letting out a small whimper, he opened it at the sight of his injured owl, "It's not too bad Mr. Weasley—I tried to fix it, and—and he should be ok in a couple of days. It's only a broken wing—

_"ONLY?"_ he repeated fiercely. His eyes screwed shut and lips pressed together as if employing all of his self-restraint not to internally combust. He just shrugged dropped his head to his desktop.

"What's _his_ problem?" Percy's head flicked up to see the face of Icarus, lurking in the doorway, ready to throw the nearest object at him.

"I accidentally hurt his owl," Audrey hung her head in embarrassment.

"Oh, _is that all?_" Icarus laughed, "that doesn't even _compare_ to back when I worked down in magical games and sports. It was Quidditch World Cup '92 and I was trying to discreetly fix my boss's toupee—it had gotten off kilter you know—and I accidentally charmed it to change colors—looked like a bloody disco ball! He walked around all day at the Cup—everyone just laughed and he never found out why until he saw it on the front page of _The Daily Prophet _in all its glittering glory—I think I still have the clipping somewhere…Oh yeah, only two more minutes until lunch break," Icarus added, who had probably been standing around any clock he could find in the Ministry, counting down the time until then.

"Lunch break?"

"Yes, you know, the small amount of time we are allotted to escape this prison—

"I have to meet with the Minister in two minutes," he quickly stood up straightening his robes and stalking out with Icarus. Audrey only waited there, looking at the spot where he had just stood, unsure of what she should even be doing. She quickly looked to the door to make sure he had gone and then back at his desk. Cautiously, she stepped around the other side of it and paused. Her common sense told her to get away from it, Percy could return any second. She had already made quite an impression, no need to get caught scoping out your new boss's desk as well.

The state of his desk was very much the portrait of an uptight, controlling maniac. A stack of letters neatly piled together and bound in twine, extra quills like ducks in a row—but no pictures, no knickknacks, no mementoes, nothing to indicate the persona of Percy Weasley actually _existed_ outside of these four walls. Didn't all run-of-the-mill parchment pushers keep at least a few photos of their family or friends around their desks to remind them of why they're wasting their lives away in an office?

Audrey turned to leave, but not before the back side of a silver frame caught her eye. She slowly turned it over. The sheet of glass encased a young girl with glossy blonde hair and shining blue eyes. Audrey immediately recognized her from their Hogwarts days. Penelope Clearwater winked at her and blew a kiss through two, full lips.

She immediately slid the frame back on his desk, careful of the exact position it had been previously left in. It was _just _a picture, she told herself. It wasn't like she had walked in on them shagging. But somehow it had felt like it. She had invaded his privacy; even her conscience stopped to gawk—_'What the hell are you doing? You don't even _know _him!_'


	4. The Kidnapping of Percy Weasley

Chapter 4

The Kidnapping of Percy Weasley

Percy rested his head on his velvet desk mat, studying it intently as his own thoughts consumed him. It was only 8:30 and few employees were dedicated enough to come to work _that_ early—well, at the Ministry anyway.

He was physically at work, but not mentally—something that failed to escape his co-workers. It was becoming harder and harder to hide it from them. Even Icarus, who usually played aloof to such matters, seemed concerned, and Percy didn't like it. He didn't want anyone's concern and _most of all_, anyone's pity.

He used to think of it as his duty to go to work and save up money so that he and Penelope could get married, but that wasn't happening anymore. Menial tasks that he used to approach with such fervor were now lost in a haze of meaninglessness. Receive papers. Sign papers. Pass on papers to Audrey. He grew so tired of it sometimes, wanting to hand in his resignation looked better and better as days without Penelope stretched on. He was lost without her—maybe that explained why, even weeks later, her face down picture-frame remained at the edge of his desk instead of at the bottom of a rubbish bin.

The sound of a ceramic mug sliding on his desktop pulled Percy from the far recesses of his mind and back to the corner of his office. He looked up to find the source—one Audrey Archer whose glistening, dark eyes greeted him merrily. Somehow he had missed her arrival completely.

"I made you some tea," she smiled weakly, inching the stark white mug closer to him, as if offering up a poor, sacrificial lamb to the slumbering dragon. Regarding her confused look, Percy realized he must've been staring dumbly at her for quite some time.

"Thank you," he replied, barely above a whisper at the embarrassment of his unprofessionalism. He took a sip of the peace offering, noticing that she did not immediately and politely busy herself with other tasks, but instead, remained in front of his desk, her shadow hanging conspicuously over him.

"I just wanted to formally apologize about last week—with your owl." Her lips pulled tightly at each corner in an uneasy silence.

Percy inhaled sharply through his long nose, as if the memory stung him, "It's…alright. Hermes will be fine it seems," he ended dismissively, shuffling loose pieces of parchment in an attempt to signal busyness that shouldn't be interrupted.

"Of course, I was just thinking that I never really made it up to you—properly—by taking you to lunch." He seemed clearly pleased with her apology until she reached the last part, his letter opener hanging in the air. He placed the half-opened envelope on his desk and finally looked up at her with a stare as blank as any of Ron's divination quizzes.

_'A date?'_ The thought bubbled to the top of his consciousness before it could characteristically smash it to pieces, _'Of course not you sodding idiot!'_

"Well—well, I don't know. I don't usually have time to go anywhere—

"_Oh, for Merlin's sake Perce!"_ Icarus exclaimed heartily across the room, "Someone is actually _volunteering _to be in your company. You should be thankful anyone even offered—much less someone as cute as Audrey!" A devilish grin peeked out over a copy of _The Quibbler _and Percy's jaw clenched at the accusation. What was _that _supposed to mean anyway? He earnestly wished for the ability to cast an unforgivable curse with his eyes as he glared at his loquacious co-worker. "Thank you _Icarus_ for that enlightened opinion, but unfortunately not all of us have the luxury to just do as we please."

"If you won't voluntarily come with me, then I'm afraid I'll just have to kidnap you," she interjected so matter-of-factly. "So which is it gonna be?" She folded her arms over her chest as if to emphasize the gravity of it and Percy was caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement, his green eyes desperately staring up at her, waiting for the joke to reveal itself on her face.

"Oh no!" piped Icarus fleeringly, "I think she's serious, Perce."

"Look Miss Archer," he answered with an incredulous slant of his brow and a dip of his quill, "as much as I would I love nothing more than to see you try, I don't think there's anything _short_ of kidnapping that would remove me from this office."

She answered with no more than an arch of her eyebrow and Percy caught the corner of her soft lips curve into a grin whose meaning he couldn't quite understand. "Have it your way then." Her voice clipped as she whipped her wand out of the crook of her arm, _"Silencio!"_

She could only chuckle at his dumbfounded expression as he opened and closed his mouth, the realization of his secretary using a silencing charm on him literally caught in his throat. He started rifling through his papers and then on his person, no doubt in search of the wand that would quickly correct this ridiculous charade.

"_Accio Percy's wand!" _ The 13 ½, rosewood wand flew out from the crease of a book where Percy had been keeping place and straight into her hand. She dangled it in front of his nose, snatching it away as he reached for it. "I wouldn't be a very good kidnapper if I let you have it, now would I?" Her long eyelashes swept dramatically against the ridge of her brow, as if pondering what to do with it, "..._Icarus,_ I'm placing Mr. Weasley's wand in your care until we return." She tossed it across to the room to him and Percy couldn't hide the look of horror melting from his face.

"Yes ma'am," he flashed an alligator smile and turned it over between his fingers. "Wow Perce, I don't think I've ever had a good look at your wand before—it's pretty _long_—and rosewood too. That's a very _sturdy_ wood—I bet you're _very_ adept with it!"

Even Audrey broke character, laughing at the insinuation as Percy sat back in his chair, clearly not amused.

"Oh it's okay Percy," she added good-naturedly, pulling at his arm and jerking him up from his desk, "Everyone knows it's not the size of your wand that matters—it's how you use it."

Percy could only offer a weak roll of the eyes in disbelief at the immaturity currently surrounding him.

"_You're right, _that was completely cliché, next time I'll try harder. It's just too easy sometimes…" she sniggered, leaning over Percy's desk in order to scribble a ransom note on a piece of parchment. His eyes fleetingly glanced at her, watching her feet shift in the outlandish, glittery shoes she wore, making her shapely legs look more like stilts holding up the curve of her arse. Was he _staring_? No! He immediately averted his gaze. Yes—yes, he definitely was. He silently cleared his throat and adjusted the knot of his tie. The recent loss of Penelope must've been the explanation for this _truly _uncharacteristic behavior.

She snatched up the parchment and read it aloud, "I, Audrey Archer, have kidnapped Percy Weasley. He will not be returning until the end of his lunch break. Signed, A.A." She tossed the quill down and placed the parchment in the middle of his desk, "That should do it...come along Percy." She locked her arm with his and he desperately tried to pull away in a mad scramble for the door.

"_Jelly Legs Jinx!_" The minister's assistant unceremoniously collapsed in a heap of limbs. He straightened his glasses, which had been knocked askew, and glared up at her from the floor. "_Please,_ you're the one who chose to do this the hard way." She pulled him up from the floor, and like a towering stack of books, he almost toppled back over her.

"We're going to have to side-along apparate, so hold on tight—I guess you'll have to." She glanced down at his wobbling legs and stifled a laugh. His stomach suddenly lurched at the squeezing movement, the flowery scent of her hair swept under his nose, as the disorienting jinx seemed to rearrange his muscles and bones while bringing them to their destination.

He immediately recognized the busy lunch-time hustle of Diagon Alley. They both walked together down the sidewalk, the embarrassment made it feel as though it stretched on forever; Percy hobbling dementedly while Audrey held on to his arm, striding alongside him as if nothing were out of the ordinary. They moved no more than a few feet when Percy swung forward on her arm, barely clearing the ground as she abruptly stopped.

"Ooh, sorry," she grasped, giving his arm a death grip. Percy pointed to the sign above a small but well-kept cafe named Ellerby's Eatery, now blanketed with a fresh layer of January snow.

"This is our stop."

The café was moderately quiet, its patrons, an orchestra of clinking cups and saucers, played a lunch break tune. They made their way to a small table near two large windows that had served Audrey well for many years in people watching when an elderly wizard wiping his hands on a little white apron approached them.

"Audrey, my darling!" a smile of crooked teeth unfolded from his mouth as he walked towards her with outstretched arms. His more salt than pepper hair was swept to the side, meeting thick white eyebrows like unkempt shrubs over deeply creased eyelids.

"Hello Mr. Ellerby!" she smiled, hugging him like her own grandfather, "It seems like the last few times I was here you weren't working." She let go of Percy, who because of his unstable legs, fell in a puddle of robes back on the floor.

"Well, you know the Missus, always complaining when she thinks I'm spending too much time here."

"Oh!—sorry Perce," Audrey let go of the embrace and helped him up once again. He gritted his teeth and grasped her shoulder to steady himself, but she only smiled back at him as she helped him wobble to a chair in which he sloppily slung himself into.

Mr. Ellerby whipped out a pad of paper. "And what will you two be having this afternoon?" Percy didn't miss the incredulous look cast upon him by the aging Ellerby.

"Oh, he can't speak. We'll just have the usual," she smiled and patted him on the back. Percy responded by slapping his hand on the table. The waiter ogled him and then quickly shuffled away.

"C'mon Percy, you don't want to make a scene now do you?" he suddenly straightened up, "—_oh_, is that all you care about? What other people think? Well this should be a good lesson then." He only shook his head and rubbed his temple, mouthing the words, "fix this!"

"What? I will do nothing of the sort Percy Weasley! I will _not _have sex with you for _one _galleon—you're going to _have _to do better than that." she added matter-of-factly, as if arguing over the price of butterbeer in Hogsmeade, "What kind of girl do you take me for—trashy _and _cheap?" she said unable to mask a laugh. His mouth dropped open in disbelief and he could do nothing more but drop his face into his hand, wishing he could disappear behind it.

"You're so cute when you're mad!" she replied with a smile, "Alright, alright, I'll fix it... _Rennervate!_" she shrugged and pointed her wand at Percy's mouth.

"She's—she's not my whore!" he said aloud, as if trying to explain the situation to the other patrons, "she's my—she's my," everyone seemed to look to him for a better explanation, "my secretary," he whispered hoarsely, realizing how ridiculous all of it was.

"You don't have to be ashamed of me!" she laughed. "I'm sure most all of you ministry-types have a woman on the side."

"_YOU_ ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" he blasted at the top of his lungs. Everyone looked up at his sudden outburst and suddenly things felt eerily familiar, "And I suggest that you go draw up your resignation papers as soon as we return to the Ministry!"

"Calm down, no one's judging you here," she waved it off in a no-nonsense voice, "Anyway, I _am_ sorry," she smiled a little, "And for everyone's information," she turned to the tables around them, "I _am_ in fact, really his secretary, not his whore," she laughed and soon everyone in the café no longer seemed interested in the whacky patrons.

"This is NOT funny in the least Miss Archer! Now take me back to the Ministry."

"No!" she answered quickly as if it were a completely outlandish idea.

"I don't know why I'm asking you to take me, I'll just go myself," he was halfway standing up before he realized that she had cursed him to the chair, unable to leave.

"Someone! Help! This crazy witch has kidnapped me!" he pointed to Audrey who looked genuinely dumbfounded across from him.

"I wish she would kidnap him _somewhere_ _else._" Another middle-aged wizard grumbled from behind Percy's head.

"Oh come now, if I were kidnapping you, why would I take you to a public place?"

"Because you're mental!"

"Fine," her voice was now completely serious, "if you wanna leave, I'll reverse the spell." She dejectedly pulled out her wand one last time and pointed at him, "There, you're free to go," she said flatly, but he had yet to move an inch.

"Well, go on, you don't have to put up with me anymore," she whispered, purposely turning to stare out the window.

He shrugged, hating himself for being unable to deny the little lunatic, "I might as well stay now," he checked his watch, "only twenty more minutes until we have to leave."

"I knew you'd come around!" she cheered, turning back to face him. He leaned back into his chair and she shifted closer to him as if to make up the difference. "Now," she leaned over the table, almost too close for his personal space, "Let's pretend like we're friends and you actually _wanted_ to come here with me. So how was your Christmas?" Audrey's big brown eyes stared expectantly into his in a probing way that made him to want to lower his gaze.

"It was just—normal, I suppose," he shrugged, wishing he could just avoid the entirety of this conversation if at all possible.

"Did you go to your parents? Or spend it with Penelope?"

_'Is she pretty?'_ Suddenly Penelope's jealousy-laced tone echoed in his head.

"Yes—_I mean NO. _No. I didn't spend it with any of them." _Them. _They were all _them _now.

"You were all by yourself?" Her eyes popped open, swimming with latent pity and the sight of it sickened Percy.

_'Oh god. Now she thinks I'm some pathetic prat with no friends or family and very likely a drinking problem—well, that assessment wouldn't be inaccurate, minus the drinking of course,' _he quietly congratulated himself. 

"But—Penelope—your girlfriend—

"She's not my girlfriend," he said belligerently, "Look, just save your apologies. She's not my girlfriend, she's not my fiancé, she's not my anything."

"But—_why?_"

"She—it's none of your business!" he added snappishly, annoyed at how he almost allowed her to see into a very intimate part of him so easily.

"Oh, c'mon."

"No, _you _c'mon!" he spat, as if the flippancy of the word offended him, "You've already put me through enough today with your little antics."

"Oh, _you liked it_. Anyway, in Shri Lanka yes means no and no means yes—

"Fine then, yes—

"But unfortunately for you, we're not in Shri Lanka," she added with an air of triumph, "so—

"Merlin's beard, you're annoying! Can we just drop this little charade now?" he added, expecting the admonishment to bury the topic.

"You are being just_—so_—temperamental!" she replied fussily, unrolling her napkin and smoothing it over her lap.

A humorless laugh, laced with incredulity, escaped Percy's throat, a slender finger sprung to his lips as his brow fell, "Really now? _I'm _the temperamental one?"

"You're not the first to notice," she agreed emphatically, "now are you going to explain this to me or not?"

Percy warily observed Mr. Ellerby, who had returned with "the usual," looking suspiciously like tea and toast. Audrey was so enthralled in a conversation that wasn't happening that she didn't seem to notice as Mr. Ellerby placed the cup and saucer in front of her and scuffled away.

He almost wished he could tell her everything. The way she looked at him with those clear brown eyes—so open and soft, beckoned for understanding. But then again, no one had ever really cared enough to want to know about him before—maybe that was why he didn't resist her anymore.

He took a deep breath, exhaling noisily and giving her a long look, "Things...just...didn't work out."

"That's _probably_ the stupidest thing I've ever heard—

"You mean _most stupid—_

"What happened—another wizard?"

Percy's lips immediately pursed together, as if offended she would suggest that _his_ precious Penny had been cheating on him. Audrey's bizarre changes in countenance became dizzying.

"It doesn't matter," the sound of air sucking through his teeth filled a mournful pause, "all that matters is that it's over," he finished in a gravely, clipped response, clearing his throat and stirring his cup thoughtfully with the little teaspoon.

"Hey!" Percy was so startled by her sudden blurt that he couldn't react to the warm feeling of her hand reaching across the table and touching his, "Just because some tart left you, doesn't mean anything."

"She wasn't a tart!" he replied defensively, though he didn't know why he was even defending her. "She didn't do anything. It's what_ I _did to her."

"Oh_, _so _you're _the tart."

"No! Would you please let me talk?"

"That's what I've been trying to let you do!"

Percy stared down at his plate, seemingly explaining it to his toast, "I was never there for her." He thoroughly examined the piece of bread while delicately spreading butter on top, "She said that I'm already _married _to work and that I don't have my priorities in order."

"Well…that's probably true," she agreed sheepishly. "So what's your plan to get her back?"

"There is no plan," Percy answered bluntly. There was no mistaking the look in Penelope's hollow eyes that night. The damage was done, and it was irreversible.

"I just want to focus on work now," he added mechanically as if the words had been written in a script, except he recited them with no feeling. He knew that it was exactly what he _shouldn't _do; that's what Penelope was telling him all along, but now there _was _no Penelope, so what else did he have? He had no friends whom he could call upon to meet up at local pub to drink his sorrows away with, _Penelope _had been his only friend. Penelope was gone. His family was gone. Everything was gone. Work had never failed him as people had. He got exactly what he put in.

"I'm sorry—

"Would you quit saying that?" he clipped her. He hadn't meant for it to sound so snappish, but Percy couldn't stop himself, it was like hearing a voice that didn't belong to him. He had already heard those empty words at a least a dozen times from the lips of Penelope, knowing that each one meant nothing but an eventual ending.

"I'm sor—I-I mean—I feel your pain and I did not mean to say that so much," she replied with a tinge of amusement still ringing through.

"Look," he breathed, rubbing his forehead with his fingers and staring at the floral table cloth, "I didn't mean to say that…It seems like every time I open my mouth it only makes matters worse, so I think I'm just going to shut up now."

"That's perfectly fine with me," she answered casually. "I'd rather look at you than listen to you anyway."

Percy wasn't sure if he should blush or scoff as he could only stare at the woman who sat across from him, carelessly chipping the silver varnish from her fingernails.

"You really have no filter."

She just shook her head helplessly, a grin playing on her pink lips, "It just can't be helped."

"Regardless, I _am_ sorry for jumping on you like that."

"No you're not," she answered dismissively.

His brow furrowed in annoyance, "You don't _get_ to decide if I'm sorry or not!"

"You certainly don't sound like it. You sound like a funeral home director—you didn't know my dead parents—

"Your parents are dead?" his voice hitched unnaturally.

"Yes, actually. And when were you 20 going on 12?" she answered before taking a sip of her tea. Percy couldn't be more confused by the markedly dry acknowledgement of a fact that any normal human being would at least _act _troubled by.

"That's not funny at all."

"Well you _did_ sound rather pre-pubescent," she replied.

He stared at her skeptically.

"Oh, you mean my parents—they're _my _dead parents! I can make a joke about it if I want." She suddenly looked up into the abyss, "do you hear that?"

"No, what is it?" his eyebrows knitted together as he regarded her blank face quizzically, staring at the spectacle that was Audrey Archer.

"The rain. It's gently tapping on the tin roof to tell us we need to get back to the office."

"How can you tell?" he asked pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Because that clock over there says it's 12:45."

Audrey pounded the lift button and it groaned in response, the two rickety gates retracted to allow her and Percy entrance. Another wizard, who Percy now recognized as Mr. Malfoy, stood in the left corner, conversing quietly with an attractive witch who looked about the same age as himself. Audrey gravitated to the furthest right wall, suddenly finding her own shoes so intensely interesting.


	5. The Mark

Chapter 5

The Mark

Malfoy nodded to Audrey and Percy as they hastily exited the lifts. An extra set of footfalls echoed behind them. She hadn't remembered seeing any meetings scheduled with Malfoy on the Minister's itinerary, so what business did they have in the office?

Percy held the door open, unable to hide the look of surprise at their extra company. Preferring not to stay, Malfoy merely nodded to the witch and swept back down the hallway.

"Are you Mr. Weasley?" a high-pitched, nasally drawl assaulted Percy's ear drum and his mind momentarily lagged in registering the witch's voice. The young witch stared at him for what seemed like years, rubbing her rouge lips together. He blinked through owlish green eyes and cleared his throat, trying to ignore the lacy bra waving to him from the low cut of her blouse. _Twenty going on twelve indeed._

"Who are _you?_" Percy's eyes snapped to the witch's face as Audrey's sharp response almost startled him. Audrey's height reduced her to little more than a pair of glaring eyes peeping out from behind his shoulder. The witch gave her a narrow, long look as if the sight of her was absolutely repulsive.

"Down girls," Icarus cooed irreverently, "this is Cassandra. She'll graduate from Hogwarts in May and has an open day in her timetable, so she'll be coming in on Mondays and Wednesdays for her internship. We all need to make her feel welcome since it's her first day—

"Rather _mature_-looking for a Hogwarts student," Audrey murmured as she eyed the girl's winding curves from which her slim skirt hung snuggly.

"A little obnoxious, don't you think?" Cassandra huffed to Icarus, though she took no precaution in whispering as Audrey heard her all too clearly from across the room. Audrey's mouth no more a straight arrow across her face, was overcome with an undeniable itch to hex the intern into oblivion with her eyes. Percy, who was just entering the earth's atmosphere, cast his best imitation of Mrs.-Weasley's_-"behave"-_stare in her direction. Her response came in the form of a murderous glare, the slap of her wand on the desktop served as a period to an unspoken sentence.

"I believe I left my things in the lobby," said Cassandra, spurring Icarus to action as he jumped towards the door, "it was nice meeting you Mr. Weasley," she smiled coyly, her hand gliding along his bicep as she passed him. The tips of his ears turned scarlet in reply. She grinned and her perfectly round bottom wriggled out with Icarus trailing closely behind like a leashed dog.

"I don't have Ministry regulations tattooed on my arm as you do, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that little arm squeeze is what we like to call _sexual harassment_ in the professional world." Audrey added cattily.

"Audrey, _stop it_."

"Stop what?—Oh, right, it's _not_ harassment when you're chuffed with it."

"I am not _chuffed _with it!" he audibly shrugged, "Anyway…I need you to deliver these papers up to IMC," he added, holding a stack of papers neatly bound in twine over her desk and staring absent mindedly at his own, as if trying to picture Cassandra laying all over it, "I assume you can handle that without launching into another tirade about our intern."

"Of course, if you're finished drooling over our new jail bait, I'll be happy to deliver them _Mr. Weasley,_" she spat venomously, snatching the papers from his hand.

Audrey was reaching for the door when it swung open from the other side, just barely catching the tip of her nose. The papers shot up like lava from an erupting volcano as she cupped her hands over her now reddening face, cursing loudly enough for Percy's head to snap in her direction.

"Merlin's pants! _Are you all right?_" came a high-pitched squeal from a mousy-looking witch now cowering in the doorway.

"Who are you?—Another _intern?" _Audrey barked through her hands.

"Uhm—no—

"That's Marcie Mayweather," Percy cut in, barely able to disguise an annoyed shrug as a casual flick of his wand rearranged the scattered papers in a neat stack, "She's on the Ministry beat for _The Daily Prophet—_and regularly barges in unannounced."

Marcie's round, baby-like eyes bobbled as she shook her head in emphatic agreement.

"Oh." Audrey's gaze traveled to the work badge hanging from the girl's chest and the notebook cradled in the crook of her arm, "Sorry."

"What is it _this_ time Miss Mayweather?" Percy asked in a offhand tone, "Whatever the case, I'm sure we have a holding statement around here somewhere…" he immediately rifled through desk drawers, searching for the stack of fill-in-the-blank quotes kept on file for reporters.

"I sincerely _doubt _you have anything prepared for this one."

The declaration stopped Percy dead.

_"What?"_ the scraping of his desk drawer accentuated his point and a heavy silence fell through the room.

"There's been an escape—from Azkaban."

"Who?" Marcie and Percy both looked at Audrey, as if the question suddenly reintroduced her existence.

"I have a list of ten high-security prisoners." She brandished her notebook as proof.

"—But how did you?—No one from Azkaban has even contacted us yet!" Percy blurted belligerently, more irritated at the lack of hierarchical organization than the news itself.

"Anonymous tip."

"_Likely story." _Percy crossed his arms tightly and stared down at her from behind his thick-rimmed glasses, looking the portrait of a disappointed headmaster confronted by a schoolboy prankster,"If the Minister finds out who's giving you these _'anonymous tips'_ from inside Azkaban, they'll be fired before—

"—just let me see the Minister," Marcie interjected as if she had little time for trivialities and made her way toward the Minister's office door. She reached for the door knob, but froze when a wand shot across the door's seam.

"You never said who they were." Percy stared aghast at Audrey's aggressive move.

"You get the _Prophet _here, don't you? Open it to page two tomorrow and you'll see full profiles of each one." The corners of Marcie's mouth quirked as her own wand moved Audrey's aside and disappeared through the Minister's door.

Marcie's silhouette, now barely visible behind the frosted glass of the Minister's door, sat herself in front of his desk. "How do you deal with these people?" Audrey turned to Percy who had now resumed scratching out notes to fellow Ministry staff concerning the breakout.

"I ask myself the same question every day," he mumbled in reply, though Audrey had already exited with a slam of the office door before it could be heard.

Audrey's vice-like grip wrinkled the edges of Percy's papers. The scene from moments ago looped in her head relentlessly as she hurried toward the lifts. _High security prisoners. _There was no mistaking what that meant.

The hallway seemed unusually empty apart from the flurry of paper airplane memos whizzing past her head. News traveled fast in the Ministry and all it required was someone innocently walking by at the right time to hear their conversation with Marcie.

She could hardly think straight for the pounding blood in her ears. _What if they came here?_ Before she could stop herself, she imagined their dark robes, silver masks storming the atrium gates, wands blazing green and red—_stop it!_ She mentally shook herself. _This is the Ministry for Merlin's sake! And why would they even do that anyway?—especially with all of the Aurors around!_ Surely Percy would have reacted with more alarm if the possibility were even remote.

She pounded the lift button, calling it from whichever floor it had been visiting. For a split second, she could have sworn the hallway light flickered. Her gaze snapped up at the glowing dome, as if daring it to confirm her suspicions, but it remained rebelliously bright and the flicker probably as real as her dreamed Ministry invasion.

She absent-mindedly glanced over Percy's papers while trying to ignore the bone-rattling creak of the lift. It was a draft of an international law outlining "acceptable house-elf working conditions." Hadn't Percy mentioned working in IMC once?

Audrey was temporarily engrossed in the document, quietly mouthing the words as she read it. She had reached the provisions section when the black ink joined the rest of her surroundings. Apparently she hadn't imagined it after all. Her eyes shot to the lift button, it was still working, still glowing to remind her it was on its way. The ornate, silver masks flashed through her mind and she reached for her wand. _Her wand_. _Shit! _She instantly pictured exactly where she left it—slammed down on her desk top. Leaning against the wall, she hugged the documents to her chest, pretending to ignore the jittery feeling of thousands of ants crawling under her palms as she counted the seconds until the lights came back on.

She had only reached twelve when a green flash appeared at the other end of the hallway, splattering her vision with black dots. Waiting for her eyes to adjust, she squinted, barely able to make out a glowing circular shape. It was obscured by green light and as she crept closer, the outline of it became alarmingly clear.

A gleaming snake slithered through the mouth of a skull, striking out at her. The ghastly jaws hung open, four needle fangs slowly retracting, as if to swallow her. A hoarse scream tore through her throat as she stumbled backwards into a cloak of shadows. _OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!_ She frantically pounded the lift button. Her whole body shook violently as she pressed herself against the wall. The lift gears ground to a stop and she darted toward the retracting doors, throwing herself against something hard. She felt herself falling backwards until something jerked her back by the arm with a bruising grip. _"LET GO OF ME!"_ she shrieked hysterically, crying and slapped at the dark aimlessly.

"Calm yourself Miss Archer," the darkness whispered back.

A light-tipped wand revealed the blonde tresses of hair and piercing blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy. Her mouth clamped shut and she could only stare, somehow dumbstruck at coming upon him in a dark corridor.

"You don't look so well." He held the wand closer to her pale face, her pupils shrunk to the size of tiny pinholes as he pushed a messy lock of hair behind her ear.

"Th-th-the mark! The Dark Mark!" her mouth felt numb, as if her lips couldn't form words correctly.

"A _Dark _Mark you say—in the Ministry?" the ring of disbelief unmistakable.

"It was—" she turned to see nothing but complete darkness over her shoulder, not even a hint remained of what threatened her mere moments ago.

"You seem distressed, why don't you allow me to accompany you to the lobby. I can have someone at St. Mungo's—

"N-no. That won't be necessary," she said firmly, suddenly feeling his grip remaining on her wrist.

"…I…I need to leave," she stammered, trying to pry her wrist from his grasp, but it did not loosen, "please," her voice pitched in a gasp of hair. He finally let go and she pushed away from him, escaping further back down the corridor. She walked quickly, trying not to seem suspicious until her legs automatically broke into a run. She was halfway to the Minister's office when her face collided with something else. _"Get away from me! PLEASE, I—_

"Audrey, it's me!" came a familiar voice, "I heard someone scream, was that you?"

"Percy?" She instinctively latched on to his arm, having never been so glad to see his red, curly mop of hair, though she thoroughly resented him little more than an hour ago.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a strictly no-nonsense tone, pulling out his wand, _"Lumos!"_

The lighted tip revealed her shell-shocked face. She looked unusually pale and her eyes speedily searched the surrounding darkness, as if expecting something to drag her into it.

"I—I'm sorry, I just thought you were someone else," she finally answered, trying desperately to steady her voice while refusing to pry herself from his arm. He inhaled deeply, holding up his wand like a lantern to guide them back toward their shared office. The muscles of her body seemed to loosen as her heart finally slowed to a normal pace. Percy was a very capable wizard, something she learned quickly after working with him for only a few short months. Despite his unconscious tendency to use his know-it-all attitude to make others feel dumb, it was one of the qualities she most admired in him. Even as a Ravenclaw, she witnessed him use spells she had never heard of, making her often wonder why he was ever placed in Gryffindor to begin with.

"What happened?" his question penetrated her train of thought, as if he knew she was silently analyzing him from under his shoulder.

"Nothing. Nothing happened. I just got scared," she answered in a breath of air. She knew it was no use. Percy, of all people, would never believe her. Maybe even tease her about it. As the memory of it felt further and further away, she wondered if she _had _imagined it. She was already convinced her mind was playing tricks on her, maybe this was just another one of them.

"Do you think…Do you think this has something to do with what Marcie said?"

"The breakout?" The incredulous tone in his response immediately told her how silly he regarded the idea, "I think if they were going to break into the Ministry they would do a lot more than shutting off the lights…Why were you in the dark anyway?"

"I forgot my wand, alright?" she replied in an agitated voice, annoyed at all of his questions.

"That's why you—

"Don't."

"Fine," he answered, glad the darkness hid his raised eyebrows. Her behavior could be absolutely baffling at times.

They had finally reached the office door when the lights shut back on. Percy's gaze shot to Audrey who immediately unhooked her arm from his, visibly embarrassed at her childish behavior.

"Now look who's sexually harassing me."

Audrey stared at him, wide-eyed in shock, "_What?_ That was _not —_"

"I believe it was—what did you say? 'A little arm squeeze'? And it wasn't _even _'a little'—it lasted at least a good five or ten minutes—

"_I can't believe you!_—Fine. Just fine. Go ahead. Report me if you like," Audrey huffed, seating herself behind her desk in an agitated flurry. _"I just can't _wait _to try to explain this one," _she mumbled.

"Hmm…I don't know," Percy wondered aloud, trying to stifle the amused tone in his voice, "I think I might let it slide this time."

_"And why is that?" _Audrey snapped, meeting his gaze across the room.

"Maybe I'm chuffed."


End file.
